Episode 174 (16th October 1986)
Plot Den tries to tell Angie that he wants a divorce, but he is unable to get a word in when she thinks he wants to talk about the staffing crisis they potentially face. Den shuts Angie up and tells her he wants to divorce her. Angie gets in a state and Den gets aggressive. Once the pair have calmed down, Den reminds Angie that marriage is for friendship and sex: two things they do not have. He continues to slate their marriage and tell Angie that all they do is argue. Den tells Angie that he will leave her the pub, as he is getting another pub through a deal with James. Angie asks how he will cope going solo; Den tells her that Jan will do the books and they will marry. Den says he feels relieved that he can finally be honest with her, but Angie is unhappy about his decision and reminds him that Jan is the reason behind the mess they are in. Den tells Angie that if their marriage worked out he would never have cheated on her. Angie calls him a hypocrite and they argue again, though Angie then realises that shouting is not helping, and calms down. She tells Den that she will go through with the divorce. Den tries discussing the practical details with her but she refuses to discuss them there and then. Angie tells Den to phone Jan and let her know she is going through with the divorce. Den walks outside smiles, delighted to have finally got what he wanted. Angie talks to Roly and says she cannot let Den go that easily. She almost cries but then reminds herself that her and Den are not over yet. Den cheerfully whistles and Angie reappears, telling him she wants to talk more. Den interrupts Angie and asks her to keep quiet about their divorce and him leaving until everything has gone through, as he fears hatred from Sharon. Angie turns the focus of conversation back to her and tells him that she is dying and has six months to live. She gets hysterical and cries in Den's arms. He pushes her onto the sofa and walks off. She follows him into the kitchen and cries some more. He tries comforting her before walking off again. Angie follows him again and he tells her that she should not have let him tell her about the divorce when she knew she was dying. He vows to stand by her for the next six months. Angie tells him that once she has died, he will have everything he ever wanted. Den is speechless. He tells Angie that if she is lying he will kill her. He then cries, holding Angie tightly in his arms. He apologises to her for everything he has put her through, and forgives her for her affairs. He promises Angie that the next six months they spend together will be the best of their lives. Den then promises Angie a second honeymoon before telling her he needs some time alone. He walks out the room and Angie smiles, having successfully manipulated him. Cast Regular cast *Angie Watts - Anita Dobson *Den Watts - Leslie Grantham Guest cast None Locations *Albert Square *The Queen Victoria - Public, hallway and upstairs flat *Bridge Street Notes *This was the first ever episode of EastEnders to feature only two characters. This episode would be the evolution of a regime that has been carried out on EastEnders regularly for the past three decades, remaining as the only soap opera to carry out more than five "two-hander" episodes. *This episode was repeated on BBC Four on 22nd May 2016 in tribute to its director, Antonia Bird, who had died three years before. The episode was transmitted on the same day the BBC Four documentary "From EastEnders to Hollywood: Antonia Bird" aired. *Although this episode is classified as a "two-hander" - meaning only two characters have dialogue - there was also an uncredited window cleaner, whose actor is unknown but had dialogue. *''Radio Times'' synopsis: 'All we got is this... a shambles. A lie. A pretence.' *Viewing Figures: UK broadcast - 22,400,000 viewers (chart placing unknown). Category:1986 episodes